About the Poet

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

‘Greater Twic East’: An Unnecessary and Needless Belligerence

You
don’t have to respond to every nonsense written about you. And whether or not
people respect you will depend on the services you offer to your people not
that you respond to every filth written about Twi. Stop responding to every divine
ignorance of a few.

So stop it!

This
is in reference to your ‘Press Release’ (SSNA) dated July 5, 2014: “Greater Twic East Youth in USA response to recently released article by
Jangdit Dengajok )

‘Greater
Twic East’ and ‘Greater Bor Community’ are all nonsense. You can’t replace one
nonsense with another! The future of your people is in working together,
exchanging ideas and expertise to develop your counties: Bor, Duk and Twi. Twi
County might benefit from experts from Bor and Duk Counties and vice versa.

What
you are actually doing is an embarrassment to Twi people. It’s exactly the
opposite of what your intentions are.

It’s
obvious that to distinguish between things is very much different from separation
of things. That means you can distinguish things but still keep them
together.You can say Bor starts from
Jueet to Abiy and Twi is from Chir to Adhiook. That’s neither separation nor is
it division. It’s purely distinction.

While
the Jieeng of the present Twi County of Jonglei state has every right to
reassert and correct the reality and identity that’s been distorted by
politicians for their political gains, I don’t think it’s necessary to
antagonize people of Bor Country. It’s an uncalled for and unnecessary creation
of enmity.

They are not your problem! Blame Twi leaders and elders if you are to blame anyone!

The
people of Bor County have not done anything bad to the people of Twi County. All
the bad things uttered against Twi people were uttered by individuals not Bor
County as a whole.

Besides,
you have to note that it was the British colonial administration that placed
the Twi people under an administrative district named after Bor people. So it
wasn’t the Bor people’s fault that you were placed under a district that didn’t
carry your name and it wasn’t Bor people’s fault that your ancestors didn’t
raise that objection then. Twi is its own problem. No excuse!

I
understand that you have the right to tell everyone that Twi and Bor are two
distinct dialectal or ethno-linguistic groups, however, it’s unnecessary and
pointless to try to create a conflict no one needs. I’ve always reiterated that
I’m not Bor and have never been Bor; however, I’ve always maintained that Bor
and Twi share a common history and good neighborliness that we should always
foster. They’ve always done things together and they’ll continue to do things
together.

Any
attempt that assumes that each of them will go its separate way is being
delusional. Being called collectively as ‘Dinka Bor’ is not the prerequisite
for togetherness. That being called Dinka Bor or GBC is a prerequisite for
coexistence is another delusion! However, coexistence is an absolute necessity
in spite of any differences: accentual or dialectal. Saying that Twi is not Bor
is not being divisive; it’s what truth-seeking requires; however, you shouldn’t
use that to create needless conflicts.

You
can emphasize to South Sudanese and the world that Twi is not Dinka Bor;
however, it would be unfair to Bor people for you to pretend they are your
problem when your problems are your leaders. Focus on your leaders on the
national and local levels.

I
write about these stuff because I have to write something that’s not only
sensible but also supportably true. This is also about the truth of the people
I belong to and no sane writer can ignore such a thing. I can’t correct
national issues when I can’t start by correcting things at my locality!

And
I say I’m not ‘Dinka Bor’ because
that’s the truth I knew and I can now authenticate historically and
convincingly, but I cannot, and will never say, that Bor and Twi go their
separate ways. Every sane Bor and Twi person knows this.

They
are brothers and sisters and will remain so in spite of their ethno-linguistic
realities. There has to be respect between the two communities.

Calling
Twi people Dinka Bor is disrespectful, I know, but it’s not a ground for
antagonizing Bor people. Just let them know who you are. If they continue to
call you what you are not then just know that falsity never endure.

If
you want to respond to Bor people who continue to call Twi people ‘Dinka Bor’
then you have to do it with utmost respect and class. Yes, there are ignorant
Bor people who still believe that Dinka Bor is a collective name for Twi, Duk
and Bor County. These people should be helped not antagonized. No falsity has
ever succeeded in history. Ignorance should be corrected not condemned.

So I
advise you to stop this nonsense and forge a good working relationship with the
Bor people. They already know that you are different. A few who deny it will
come to the fold with time. And let them know that being different isn’t a
ground for parting ways.

Your
greatest honor will be in telling Bor people, with the greatest respect, that
you’ve never been Bor and you’ll never be, however, you’d want to work together
to develop your counties. The greatest enemies of Twi people are the Flood and Twi leaders. Bor people are not your problem, have never been your
problem and will never be your problem.This is my advice to the so called ‘Greater Twic East.’

-Unite your divided
leadership in North America. Good leaders lead by example.

-Encourage Twi leaders in
South Sudan to stop hiding behind the nonsensical ‘Greater Bor Community.’ I
know GBC is pure nonsense but I still believe creating an informed and
respectful working relationship is an absolute necessity.

-Help in putting down
strong modalities for the development of your counties. Twi people have been
neglected by Twi leaders and the government.

-Create a good working
relationship with Bor County and Duk County people. You’ll be better respected
if you create and foster a good working relationship.

Anyone
who calls Twi people Dinka Bor is just being ignorant or spiteful; however, we
need to inform these people. We go to school to learn new things and new
methods we can use to help our people. Anyone who writes that Dinka Bor is a
collective name for Duk County, Twi County and Bor County is either being
ignorant or unjustifiably disrespectful. However, we need to see these people
as folks to be informed not hated or antagonized. Ignorance is pitied and
corrected not punished!

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